Serbia and Kazakhstan Elevate Partnership With Focus on Trade, Defense, and Technology
Serbia’s president has begun an official two-day visit to Astana aimed at strengthening economic and industrial cooperation with Kazakhstan. Discussions between the two governments have targeted trade expansion, defense industry collaboration, and joint technology initiatives.
President Aleksandar Vučić traveled to Astana on February 26 for an official state visit to Kazakhstan, engaging in high-level talks with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev through February 27. The agenda covered a spectrum of bilateral priorities including political engagement, trade expansion, digital transformation, healthcare, science, culture, and judicial cooperation. A joint statement and a series of cooperation agreements were scheduled for adoption.
Economic engagement was a central focus. Kazakhstan reported that bilateral trade increased by approximately 7.6% in 2025, with total turnover near $117 million. Officials on both sides emphasized leveraging the existing free-trade agreement to support concrete industrial and entrepreneurial projects in both markets.
Defense industry cooperation emerged as a key outcome of the visit. Kazakhstan’s SP Kaztechnology and Serbia’s state arms exporter Yugoimport SDPR agreed to collaborate on repair and modernization programs for 122 mm and 152 mm self-propelled artillery systems from the Nora and Soko/Soho families. In addition, a framework agreement was reached on technology transfer and establishing production capacity for high-energy materials.
The scope of cooperation also extended into technology and innovation. Astana Hub entered memorandums with Serbia’s Digital Transformation Center, SEE UP Accelerator, and the Science Technology Park Belgrade. Kazakhstan’s National Biotechnology Center signed a cooperation agreement with Serbia’s Bio4 Campus, signaling ambitions for joint work in biotech and related research.
Diplomatic relations between the two states date back to 1996 and have intensified since late 2024, when President Tokayev visited Belgrade and both sides concluded multiple cooperation arrangements across trade, investment, and industrial fields.
